Building construction is a labor-intensive activity, often employing multiple workers, such as architects, framers, plumbers, electricians, and painters. Each worker may perform a job using specialized tools.
A framer, for example, typically arrives at a building site with one or more tools for performing a framing operation. A house can be framed with a variety of different sized boards, measured in inches as 2×4, 2×6, 2×8, 2×10, or 2×12, in some prespecified length. The house design can include windows or doors, for which the framer cuts, or “chops” the boards down to size. Generally, the framer will have a miter saw for the purpose of cutting the boards.
A miter saw is a large circular saw connected to a housing that supports the material to be cut. The miter saw pivots at the housing so that the blade may be brought down over a work piece such as wood.
The housing of the miter saw includes a turntable assembly that allows angled cuts to be made to the wood. A compound miter saw additionally pivots to one side, allowing bevel cuts to be made. Some compound miter saws even include a sliding mechanism that increases the cutting length of the saw. The sliding mechanism further allows partial cuts, e.g., not all the way through the wood, to be made. Miter saws may be used for crosscuts, picture frame molding, grooves, and tenon joints, to name a few examples.
Sometimes, a framer needs to “rip” a board, wherein the board is cut lengthwise rather than crosswise. Many trim operations, for example, involve rip cuts, such as when facia boards are used for the eaves of a roof. A lengthwise cut of a board may be needed to even out a corner. Even a sliding compound miter saw is inadequate for such operations. Instead, a table saw or a circular saw is used to rip the wood piece.
Table saws, however, are typically not built for travel to a job site. Where the table saw is sturdy enough to be moved, the saw is nevertheless not portable enough for a single worker to transport. Thus, table saws are generally not moved to construction job sites.
In a circular saw, the blade rotates at a high rate of speed to accurately cut the wood. Angled cuts used in framing operations are sometimes difficult using circular saws. Further, the need to perform an angle cut to a board is often not anticipated until work is well underway.
Miter saws, on the other hand, are made for travel. Built with locking mechanisms and of sturdy material, they may be transported to a job site with relative ease.
Thus, there is a continuing need to enhance a miter saw for performing ripping operations.